The Popcorn Stand: Maskgate — Can I take both sides?

As I was playing around in Monterey last weekend instead of writing this Popcorn Stand, I was keeping track of what was going in my hometown on my phone through the intertubes, otherwise known as social media, and of course what everybody was talking about was Maskgate.

This column is named in honor of my favorite sports columnist, Pulitzer Prize-winning Red Smith, who once dubbed one of his columns The Popcorn Stand. I won’t go into the details but in one of his columns in which he was writing about a particular controversial issue he wrote he was inclined to take both sides.

And when it comes to this whole Maskgate thing, I’m inclined to take both sides. Those of you who choose to read this Popcorn Stand know my stance on masks and vaccines. As John Mckay said when asked about his team’s execution “I’m all for it” when it comes to the subject of wearing masks and being vaccinated.

I firmly believe if we would have just worn our masks properly and if all of us would have been vaccinated we would have finally been able to put this whole COVID thing behind us and not be experiencing the feeling of Groundhog Day for the second straight year as Groundhog Day approaches.

And I believe I have the overwhelming evidence to back that up. But I know there are those of you who disagree and I know there’s no convincing you otherwise. So enough of that.

So as those of you who choose to read this Popcorn Stand know, I subscribe to the John Wooden rule. Bill Walton once went to Wooden and told him he had no right to tell him to cut his hair, Wooden was violating his personal rights and he would wear his hair as long as he wants.

Wooden replied by saying something to the effect, “You’re absolutely right Bill. I don’t have the right to tell you to cut your hair. But I have the right to say who plays on this team.” Long story short, Walton got his hair cut.

So I absolutely believe the Porterville City Council has every right to tell the people who love their personal liberty so much you’re absolutely right we don’t have the right to tell you to wear a mask. But we have the right to say who can attend this meeting. So yes, in other words, follow the rules or stay home and watch the meeting on Youtube.

And again those who choose to read this Popcorn Stand know I’ve quoted Benjamin Franklin who used the term “essential freedom.” That doesn’t mean all freedom. That doesn’t mean absolute freedom.

I pretty much believe you should be allowed to do whatever you want — as long as you don’t cause harm to others.

The term “personal liberty” has been thrown around a lot lately. Again I’ve been playing around some to begin the new year and not always writing this Popcorn Stand and at the start of the year I went to Disneyland.

And of course I had to end my trip to Disneyland by visiting the Abraham Lincoln exhibit. I don’t think it’s an accident that the exhibit is the very first attraction as you enter Disneyland on Main Street.

As I listened to Lincoln speak he said “nobody in the world has been able to define personal liberty.” Never has that statement rung truer than today.

I know the Porterville City Council didn’t put in a rule you have to wear a mask at their meeting to violate anyone’s personal liberty. This isn’t some kind of tyrannical action on their part to seize as much control of people’s lives as possible.

The City Council put in the rule because they’re genuinely concerned about the health and safety of those who attend their meetings.

I’ve written I’m inclined to take both sides of this Maskgate issue and I’ll eventually get to the other side. But I think the biggest problem in today’s society is our unwillingness to SEE both sides.

You may disagree with what the City Council is doing, but gee, at least try to see their side.

But now onto the detaining of 75-year-old Rae Dean Strawn, who wasn’t taken into custody for not wearing a mask, just not wearing a mask properly. She was taken away in handcuffs in a police car to the police station.

Really? Come on. What the Porterville City Council failed to realize, what the Porterville Police Department failed to realize, and what those officers who took Strawn into custody failed to realize, is we all just want to be treated with dignity.

That’s something else that has been EXTREMELY lacking through this whole COVID thing. We don’t treat each other with dignity any more.

I know if we would all just treat each other with dignity — the way we want to be treated — we would do a lot better getting through this whole COVID thing no matter what our beliefs are.

Even though I disagree with those who take a stance against masks and vaccines, I can SEE their side. I hope they can see my side.

And I know if the Porterville City Council, the Porterville Police Department and those officers had just treated Strawn with dignity, she would have never been taken into custody. And yes maybe Strawn should have treated the officers involved with a little more dignity, too.

Maybe we should all take both sides.